The Penn's Grove record., 1887-04-16

reached INTO MS pocket ana DrOuRHb OUT
a handful of change. There was the So
piece sure enough. Who but an idiot
could mistake its yellow CLEAN for the
dull aspect of a nickel? He slowly
counted out 81 80, and handed the sum
to her with a muttered apology, then
beat a hasty retreat to the interior of
the car, stopping to collect the fares of
a couple of passengers who had just
stepped aboard. One of these was
Jones, a vulgar fellow of recently accu-
INFLATED wealth, who had put up a pre-
tentious Eastlake mansion on Leayen-
worth street.
"'Knocking down faresl Second time
I've caught him to-day said Jones to
his friend, nodding toward him, James
Austin who could have bought out the
upstart twice over had he cared. An
angry denial was on his lips. Then a
deep crimson flush oyerspread his face.
To be sure he had been dropping fares
in his pocket without registering them
on his trip slip. Confound that bell
punehl Why was the blamed thing ever
invented2
Austin forgot that he had been the
foremost one to urge its adoption on the
cable road.
He was losing sight of his daughter.
They had reached the end of the road
and were on the homeward journey.
Jack Starr had not put in his appear
ance, nor did Miss Hetty appear to be
on the lookout for anyone, sitting there
quietly in her seat, drinking in the fresh
air with a look Of perfect content on
her innocent face.
The trip downtown was made with
out any great misadventure, except
that the vigilant gripman rescued an
old man from being mangled under the
wheels. as the car was started In re-
spouse to the conductors premature
signal. Miss Hetty sat calmly in her
place and did not offer to alight till they
were on their fourth outward trip, and
the short January day was drawing to a
close.
She descended from her seat with one
little backward look, full of signiti-
cance, at the gripman. The conductors
brain whirled rs he realized that he had
at last discovered a clue. Twice before,
when the car was nearly vacant, he had
observed the two in brief colloquy.
Could il be that the lovers, cut off from
any other means of communication,
exchanged messages through the medi-
UNI of this dummy engineer?
He was determined to sift the matter
to the bottom, and hastily canyassed in
his mind the most adroit method of pro-
cedure, decidingi that a tone of jocular
comradeship, would be best adapted to
extract the desired confidence. They
had reached the end of the route, the
remaining passengers had allleft the car,
and the two men, by their united efforts,
were revolving the dummy to place tin
readiness for returning.
"Nice little girl, ell, that one in the
~wine-colored dress and sealskin cap?"
He bent upon the gripman a smile that
was designed to invite his confidence.
The latter growled a short reply be-
tween his teeth. The car was in position
for the homeward start, no one was by
to hear, and Austin seemed determined
to follow up his advantage.
seThese San Francisco girls are
mighty sly. Suppose that little creature
is like the rest, fond of the men, carry
ing on all manner of ilirtations, meeting
them in out-of-the-way places"
Mr.. Austin never knew exactly how
he reached the pavement. lie realized
that he was not only at the mercy of a
thoroughly angry man, but i'll the hands
of an expert boxer. He was kicked,
cuffed. beaten, mauled from n side of
the room to the other, his long ulster
torn half off his back. In the midstof
this painful and confusing experience
one fact was clear to him, and that was
that the attack was perfectly justiiable,
and that he would have visited the
same punishment upon any scoundrel
who dared to speak of his daughter in
the terms that had just past his lips.
AS the conductors false beard was
twisted awry, disclosing one side of his
face. the young man suddenly ceased
hostilities. The two glared at each
other in breathless amaZement.
'tMr. Austinl Good heavensl"
That gentleman gazed incredulousiy
upon his antagonist, making a mental
inventory of the coarse garments of the
painting young athlete, the grimy hands
he had been wont to see encased in the
finest kids, the spirited face, flushed
with victorious combat.
"Jack Starr, by Jovef"
81 beg your pardon, sir. l assure
YOU | never had the faintest suspicion
il was YOU"
The young mar stared at his victim
in tAk humblest contrition and despair,
There was not a spot N MI. Austin's
body that did not ache. His left wrist
was badly sprained and he was con-
scious that he should carry a black eye
for q month. Moreover, his dignity had
been sorely compromised; but he could
not muster q semblance of resentment
against his adversary.
The man who was ready to resent a
strangers aspersions of his daughters
character with such spirit and such
scientific skill (alackl that bruise on his
left shoulder) was the man for him.
But it was a queer way to find out the
fellows mettle.
"It's all right, Jack" he meekly con-
fessed. 81 deserved it,"
The two combatants inwardly thank
ed heaven that the gathering dusk pre-
vented spectators from realizing the
true nature of the struggle, and aided
them to conceal their respective identl-
Ties. Tue plChSu up lilo Gun
ductor's punch from where it had fallen
in the dust, and ~deferentially presented
it to him as they returned to theiI
deserted posts.
Don't tell Pinchleyln was the con-
duetor's imploring appeal, passing
through the door ascending a steer
grade.
"What? Pinchley knew, and deliber-
erately pitted usagainst each other!" The
gripman bent double over the lever in q
paroxysm of mirth. "Iuulloal Ring foI
a stop. There's a lady waiting on the
corner.
"How did you come to take up this
sort of thing Jackp"
s'To prove the fallacy Of your asser.
lions. And 1t isn't a bad thing, after
all. One gets musty pegging away al
the law all the time"
sch? Studying for the bar, Jacki
Upon my SOUL Say, Jack, you know
our dinner hour is $3.50. If you could
contrive to come around-hang it, boy.
You know what | mean"
And Jack assented.